Who’s in this brain trust?
I would think Holbrook would have final say as it’s his career on the line if we are crap
Holbrook has seen Sandon play and train close up. He knows what his best position is
The pre-season 2026 thread
- Thread starter Billy
- Start date
I would think Holbrook would have final say as it’s his career on the line if we are crap
Holbrook has seen Sandon play and train close up. He knows what his best position is
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
It’s kind of liberating in a way. If this is true then there’s no reason to get hopes up about how they’ll go. No reason for anxiety about results because, spoiler alert: a lot of L’s.
KPGreatness
Shane Vincent
If they run out as listed than I’ll be convinced they don’t know league at all.
It’s such a obvious line-up to make
It’s such a obvious line-up to make
Les Misérables
Darren Albert
Supposedly involves Holbrook. Its coming from within the coaching staff, these are the early conversations being held.
If I'm a betting man, Holbrook is smart to let POS and Parr attempt success at their original plan during preseason. It cant hurt. But I'll be absolutely shocked if Smith isnt running out in the 7 jersey come round 1.
KPGreatness
Shane Vincent
I mean why would they continue with a honestly awful plan, wastes time with combos and positions just to satisfy two people that have never coached.
Holbrook clearly stated he wanted to sort the spine out right away and stick, seems pointless and potentially harmful to go with a plan that you aren’t going to use during the actual game anyway.
Just set up the players to there positions, strengths and go from there you know like the good teams do.
Who ever is pushing this stupid plan needs to stop
Thanks for the info
Agree, sounds like the smart play from Holbrook. Don’t burn your bridges as soon as you walk in the door
I think we all will be shocked if Smith isn’t the 7 come round 1
waynesworld
Joseph 'BJ' Leilua
Playing devils advocate, the player with the highest ceiling in the team is still Fletcher Sharpe, Smith could be a great attacking 9 and Crossland playing big minutes in the middle solves our biggest squad issue as it stands.
We all saw how good sharpe was getting at 6 before he got injured right? In my opinion he was on par with what Ethan Strange was producing minus some ball play. Having Sharpe in around the ruck is imperative. It can however, happen with him on the wing, play a roaming role mid set etc.
I don’t think it’s crazy considering the positions as suggested by Les, having the creativity of a smith at 9 to help produce plays is still the Melbourne/Harry Grant method. Less pressure on Brown and Sharpe as Smith will chime in on plays as will KP.
Not even day one of pre season though, so plenty of time for Holbrook, White and Bedsy to get plans in place.
With so many running threats in Brown, Sharpe, KP, Smith we’d be crazy to not look at some hyper attacking plan, one of the biggest parts of it is having forwards providing the go forward for that plan to work and the fitness to back up any error from said attack plan.
Holbrook already stated it should be a team that is ready to attack from anywhere on the field.
I don’t think it’s crazy considering the positions as suggested by Les, having the creativity of a smith at 9 to help produce plays is still the Melbourne/Harry Grant method. Less pressure on Brown and Sharpe as Smith will chime in on plays as will KP.
Not even day one of pre season though, so plenty of time for Holbrook, White and Bedsy to get plans in place.
With so many running threats in Brown, Sharpe, KP, Smith we’d be crazy to not look at some hyper attacking plan, one of the biggest parts of it is having forwards providing the go forward for that plan to work and the fitness to back up any error from said attack plan.
Holbrook already stated it should be a team that is ready to attack from anywhere on the field.
KPGreatness
Shane Vincent
I’ll just lay out my opinion in a blunt way
Smith is miles ahead of Sharpe as a main playmaker, same goes for Brown.
Sharpe has a scary lack of ball playing which is a non-negotiable not opinion, you need to have at the very least a decent ability in ball playing, Sharpe looks a few years of that yet, I noticed a few game he would rather run than pass as it looked like he didn’t really think he could do it.
Like KP, if you have one threat and use it a lot players will lock you the hell down, teams have already done this with Ponga and completely shut him out of games.
Also Sharpe is horrible at placing his kicks, a few years right there.
I’m sorry but while I absolutely love sharpe but he does not have a high ceiling in the halves, he will only ever be a decent first grader, he has shown nothing at all that he can handle it barring his solid defence and running game, he lacks in literally everything else badly.
Smith is better than Sharpe in the halves that simple, people put way to much disrespect on the stuff you need to be an elite half in the hardest league in the world.
The things Sharpe needs to fix isn’t a thing that can be fixed in one year try three instead.
Another way to put it is if sharpe plays 27 rounds at 6 or 7 I’d be surprised to see him with over 5 try assists he would have like 15 tries but that solidifies my point even more that he isn’t a playmaker
Look it’s hard to get people to understand without footage so I do hope they do it, it will fail drastically like everyone knows and I hope we can right the wrong and start playing league right
Stick to it for three games, grab the three losses, switch it to the right way and go again
Ps. To say Sharpe is like Strange is incredibly disrespectful, Strange is better in the halves and it isn’t even close, Sharpe is a better fullback, winger and I’d say has a much higher ceiling as a league player but, don’t kid yourself, Strange eats Sharpe alive as a 6.
Smith is miles ahead of Sharpe as a main playmaker, same goes for Brown.
Sharpe has a scary lack of ball playing which is a non-negotiable not opinion, you need to have at the very least a decent ability in ball playing, Sharpe looks a few years of that yet, I noticed a few game he would rather run than pass as it looked like he didn’t really think he could do it.
Like KP, if you have one threat and use it a lot players will lock you the hell down, teams have already done this with Ponga and completely shut him out of games.
Also Sharpe is horrible at placing his kicks, a few years right there.
I’m sorry but while I absolutely love sharpe but he does not have a high ceiling in the halves, he will only ever be a decent first grader, he has shown nothing at all that he can handle it barring his solid defence and running game, he lacks in literally everything else badly.
Smith is better than Sharpe in the halves that simple, people put way to much disrespect on the stuff you need to be an elite half in the hardest league in the world.
The things Sharpe needs to fix isn’t a thing that can be fixed in one year try three instead.
Another way to put it is if sharpe plays 27 rounds at 6 or 7 I’d be surprised to see him with over 5 try assists he would have like 15 tries but that solidifies my point even more that he isn’t a playmaker
Look it’s hard to get people to understand without footage so I do hope they do it, it will fail drastically like everyone knows and I hope we can right the wrong and start playing league right
Stick to it for three games, grab the three losses, switch it to the right way and go again
Ps. To say Sharpe is like Strange is incredibly disrespectful, Strange is better in the halves and it isn’t even close, Sharpe is a better fullback, winger and I’d say has a much higher ceiling as a league player but, don’t kid yourself, Strange eats Sharpe alive as a 6.
What's the issue with Brown wearing the 7? If we use the Penrith system of an on ball 7 like Cleary with his 6 on the left and 1 on the right, maybe Brown isn't that guy. If we are going to split our halves and have Ponga sweep both sides, Brown still plays his sweet spot on the left and takes a little bit more responsibility for the end of sets. And for 1.3m so he should be. That's basically the role Thurston played at NQ and origin level. They literally have the same sweet spot and it should help Ponga get the ball more in his sweet spot. Sounds good to me.
Sorry for having an opinion.....Remind me again who he competes against for that NZ 9 jersey?
To me he looked much better as the link man when playing 13.
It's all negotiable mate, and I think you are dead wrong.
Les Misérables
Darren Albert
Crossy is a brilliant player to have in your team. He's in every variation of my 13, somewhere somehow. As a 9 there are things he does extremely well but there are parts to his game (as a 9) that are sub par.
He is no threat out of the ruck, meaning that his forwards and his halves are under immediate pressure, for example. His service is similar to Robson in that he throws a laser like pass, with pace and accuracy, but its telegraphed and the markers arent bothered by him at all. He cant use his hands, his eyes and the angle of his body to create illusion around his next move, which is what all the top hookers need to be able to do as it stalls the D line. And for the same reason he doesnt have a running game. And for the same reason he has very few line break assists out of hooker, let alone try assists.
There's a reason that we ended up shifting him to 13 and it wasnt because Brailey could play 80 mins
Some of Sharpe's ball playing in reggies in '24 was sublime, the sort of instincts that can't be taught. Walker style passes for unmarked wingers to score. Skipping past a backrower in one trip down the pitch to score, the next set drawing the backrower towards him and putting his own edge backrower over untouched. He was playing 1 but displayed PLENTY of ball playing skills. I don't want this kid nerfed. The lack of ball skills is a massive fallacy.
I know you were being sarcastic, but you are right. The current NZ hooker (bench player atm?) is not particularly good at hooker. I love crossland, all effort, local boy, leads our line speed and inspires players around him. However, all his best attributes are better used at lock. His decision making at hooker is horrible, countless times the last few seasons we have something on and he goes the wrong way. Also, his pass isnt the laser that someone else above described. I was watching Brailey and Crossland warm up last season, and the speed of Braileys passes made croasland look like he was throwing big loopey u/10 passes. He can't bring forwards onto the ball... etc etc. Crossland is a 13 or 14, if we have him as our main 9 we aren't a premiership team.
I also dont agree that Sandon is a 7. He isnt a "on the ball" 7, that's for sure. A running 6 or a crafty 9 are better suited to his skill set (touch footy background) than 7 imo. I see him more like a conner watson type than a pezet. The type of 7 I keep reading about on here (Cleary, Reynolds, dce etc) doesn't exist in our squad. It will be upto holbrook to come up with a system that covers this shortfall while maximizing the unique skills of the spine players we have.
If it was upto me I would run them out like this next year.
1. Sharpe
6. Brown
7. Ponga
9 sandon.
Imo last season, even tho ponga was 1 and Sharpe 6, they played a hybrid role. Almost like ponga at 1 in D and 6 in attack (with Sharpe doing some playmaking in attacking areas). I'd still have ponga defending at fullback. Whoever wears the 7 next year will be copping it in the media unless they kill it. I'd rather ponga feel that pressure instead of Sharpe or brown.
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
It's not "ball playing skills" per se. Kalyn Ponga throws better money balls than almost any other player in the game but also had massive issues with the role he was given this year of trying to be on-ball more, working the team to the right positions, doing the lead-up work which disorganises the defence so that someone like Kalyn Ponga can punish it (too bad he wasn't in positions to do so anymore!).
Throwing passes to unmarked wingers & other money balls like those described are absolutely not indicators of a good ball-playing skill set *for a half*, specifically. When you watch Sharpe and Sandon Smith play, try to turn your attention away during the parts where they are directly involved in a try being scored. Watch the other parts. Watch what they're doing in yardage sets, watch how and when they are delivering the ball to their outside men when the team is working through its shapes - what decisions are they making, how consistently is the defence reading it and shutting it down with a dominant tackle vs being stressed and making ineffective contact + giving up quick play the balls. Watch for if the ball is out in front of those outside men or behind them. Watch for when they're turning down opportunities to keep spreading the ball to run it instead. Watch for something as simple as how switched on and clear in their positioning the forwards and backs playing off the back of said half look. What kind of grade would we give Fletcher and - I'm not singling Sharpe out here - Kalyn on any of these points?
Sandon Smith - Connor Watson comparisons. That'll do me.
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Anyway. Whatever. If they do trot out Sandon 9, Brown 7, Sharpe 6, my expectations are so low I can literally only be right and feel no more negatively than I already do, or pleasantly surprised.
But god damn, it's frustrating. Positions exist for a reason! Was okay with Brown at 7 in the context of everything being so ****ed at least having a good player there was an upgrade. Landing Sandon Smith for a really pretty cheap salary is a potential bail out from the collision course with the series of brick walls we've been driving directly into almost every season for years now and it seems like we're just not going to steer away from it. Cool! Very cool!
But god damn, it's frustrating. Positions exist for a reason! Was okay with Brown at 7 in the context of everything being so ****ed at least having a good player there was an upgrade. Landing Sandon Smith for a really pretty cheap salary is a potential bail out from the collision course with the series of brick walls we've been driving directly into almost every season for years now and it seems like we're just not going to steer away from it. Cool! Very cool!
Probably going against the spirit of running a forum here lol, but I don't see much point stressing about anything until Holbrook names his first team.